jasonatri

Hi all!

I'm thinking about purchasing a 2017 CPO GLS 550 with just under 45K miles on it. Black with Saddle Brown interior. I thought I'd only want a lighter interior, but I kinda dig the saddle brown leather. I was hoping to get some feedback from others who have already gone through the process so I could hopefully make a smart, educated decision.

I currently have a 2008 GL 450 that has been draining my wallet the last couple of years, so I think it's finally time to move on knowing that I will have to dump more money into it if I keep it any longer.

I've always loved the 550 and admired it anytime I saw one out in the wild, which is quite often where I live. I dream of the AMG, but it would not be a smart financial decision on my part. It even pains me to spend the money on the 550, but the 450's with the options I want aren't much less. So I figure if I spend $6K more but get something I've been wanting for a while, it might be worth it.

Here are the added options on the vehicle:

• 980 980 Accessory Chrome Package: Chrome Door Handle Inserts, Chrome Hoo $260
• 070 Chrome Door Handle Inserts
• 133 Hood Fin Covers
• 997 997 Driver Assistance Package: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, Steering $1,375
• 23P Driver Assistance Package
• 233 DISTRONIC PLUS 3.0 with Steering Assist
• 237 Active Blind Spot Assist
• 238 Active Lane Keeping Assist
• 253 CMS Rear
• 266 DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist
• 268 BAS PLUS w/Cross Traffic Assist
• 269 BAS
• 271 PRE-SAFE Plus
• 300 CMS
• 513 Speed Limit Assist
• 068 Wheel Locking Bolts $150
• 413 Panorama Sunroof $1,090
• 51U Black Headliner
• 550 Trailer Hitch $575
• 731 Burl Walnut Wood Trim
• 843 Power EASY-ENTRY $400
• 86R 21-Inch Light Alloy Wheel
• 866 Pre-Wiring for Rear Seat Entertainment $170

So, I guess I want to know if there's any reason I should avoid purchasing a CPO GLS 550? Are there any options not listed that you think are a must? Do you recommend the extended warranty, and is that something I can negotiate at purchase?

I'm 6'4", and the one issue I had with my 08 450 is the lower back support. Any long road trips that lasted more than an hour were uncomfortable, and when we'd take trips from NC to upstate NY, forget about it. So I'm assuming (maybe incorrectly) that the Multi-Contour Seats w/Massage is going to be amaze-*****.

Thank you in advance for any and all input you may have for me. I really do appreciate it.

barsaec

Pull the trigger. I got the GLS550 for the same reason on the GLS450. Massage seats are much better than my '11 E350. We ended up getting an '18 with 38k miles. After getting new tires, the car is an amazing road tripper.

chassis

Looks like a good spec. One option that is very nice to have is off road engineering. Two speed transfer case and lockable differentials. A big help if you drive mountain roads or sand/beaches.

The 550 seems like it is a guzzler, and fun at the same time. It's a different kind of wallet drain.

jasonatri

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to make an offer today and see where it goes. I don't see those options you mentioned listed, so I'm guessing it doesn't have it. As far as it being a gas guzzler, my GL450 is a V8 and is pretty close to the same in terms of estimated MPG, so it's not going to be too much of a difference. My office is like 5 miles from my house, so I'm not going to be putting a ton of miles on it daily.

Jt0230

Do it! I bought one and its the best thing ever. I made two 800 mile trips last month, and it was comfortable. I hate long road trips but the GLS 550 was comfortable to drive and not fatiguing.

JoeF400

I just purchased a 17 CPO GLS 550, and would say that its one of the most impressive vehicles I have owned. It is built like a tank, and in my opinion is one of the best looking SUV's out there. One option I like is the soft close doors, the doors are very heavy and unless you give them a push, they often don't close all the way. Not a big deal, but a cool option. Yesterday merging onto the parkway, I really couldn't wrap my head around how a vehicle this big and heavy could throw you back in your chair when stepping on the gas. Heated and massage seats are incredible, my wife has back issues, and after a five hour drive had no discomfort. I purchased the two year CPO warranty extension. Check with Cassandra Castro, she got me the best price, significantly below what my local dealer quoted. I have lunar blue with saddle brown interior. The saddle brown interior is the one to get. Just had it detailed and coated.

jasonatri

Thanks @barsaec . I have to admit, as soon as I saw the massage seat option, it became a must . I'm definitely looking forward to the upgrade from my 08 GL450. Looked at other SUV's, but nothing compares to the GLS (in my opinion). It's the perfect size and mix of luxury and ruggedness.

Just out of curiosity, did you get a Certified 550?

jasonatri

NICE @JoeF400 !!!!! My dad has a Porsche Panamera and it has the soft close doors, which I thought was super cool and never thought about needing or wanting it until I saw it work on his ride.

I'm hoping I can work out a deal with this dealership I'm talking to. How much off the listed price did you get, if you don't mind my asking?

JoeF400

I didn’t get much off, think it was around 1k. It was originally priced pretty competitively at 59k for a 17 with 25,000 miles. They also gave me a very generous trade in on my old mdx; 2k above highest offer from other dealers. Pricing seems to vary based on location. Two other area dealers offered up to $750 off list price and wouldn't budge any further and let me walk. This one had what we wanted so we just went with it. You def. pay a premium for a cpo vehicle.

hyperion667

Saddle brown: drool!

jasonatri

Thanks for the info @JoeF400 . I'm finding that they don't really want to budge much on the price. Did you get an extended warranty? I'm wondering if they'll come down on the $3,745 for the additional 2 years. I also haven't told them I had a possible trade in yet, so I guess I could throw that in there to see what they offer.

JoeF400

Cassandra quoted me well below that price on the 2 year. Give her a call 262 439 2552.

jasonatri

@JoeF400 , would she be able to get me a warranty even if I'm not buying the car from her dealership? I looker her up and they don't have any GLS 550's on their lot.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to get the one I was looking at because they don't seem to want to budge on the price, and I feel it's a little high with the miles that are on it. I'm expanding my search to a 500 mile radius and hoping I come across something. I'm willing to make a trip if the deal is worth it.

I really appreciate everyone's input on this. It's nice to get some advice from people who have been in similar situations. I feel like buying a used car is so much more difficult than new because you know the cost of the new car and how much wiggle room they have to work with. I know they make a lot on used cars because I know what they offer for trade-ins. One of the MB dealerships here offered my step-mom $17K for her 2014 GL 450 with 71K miles, and she was ready to purchase a new 2021 GLS that they had on the lot. Same place has the same car with less options but only 50K miles for $37,992! The KBB is at least $22K for the trade of her car. So, long story short (too late, I know), she walked away.

BlownV8

Yes, she can sell you an MB warranty even if you don't buy it from an MB dealership. You always want to send her the vin to make sure it is eligible for ELW. Best bet is to look for a low mileage MB under factory warranty and get the 3 year ELW from Cassandra.

barsaec

@jasonatri I did not go CPO, just remainder of factory. I've come to experience that if you buy with remaining factory warranty, you can gauge if the car is problematic, and still be protected. I have not purchase extended warranties on 3 Mercedes, and have been disappointed, or shocked at a repair bill. Just stay on top of all the maintenance!

jasonatri

I found a 550 with the following options, but it's 400+ miles away. The interior color is not my first choice, but they have it discounted a lot and it only has 32,729 miles.

MODEL: 2017 GLS550W4
149 Polar White
215 Ginger Beige/Espresso Brown Leather
Options
521 521 Night Package: Black Louvre, Black Exterior Mirrors, Black Roof $300
P55 Night Package
89R 21" AMG Twin 5-spoke bkack two tone
997 997 Driver Assistance Package: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, Steering $1,375
23P Driver Assistance Package
233 DISTRONIC PLUS 3.0 with Steering Assist
237 Active Blind Spot Assist
238 Active Lane Keeping Assist
253 CMS Rear
266 DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist
268 BAS PLUS w/Cross Traffic Assist
269 BAS
271 PRE-SAFE Plus
300 CMS
513 Speed Limit Assist
P21 Air Balance Package $280
SPC Special Order $250
293 Rear Side Airbags (SPC) $420
297 Manual 2nd Row Sunshades $380
311 Heated/Cooled Front Cupholders $180
413 Panorama Sunroof $1,090
443 Heated Steering Wheel $250
468 ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM $2,900
55U Porcelain Headliner
550 Trailer Hitch $575
731 Burl Walnut Wood Trim
843 Power EASY-ENTRY $400
872 Heated Rear Seats $620
874 MAGIC VISION CONTROL $350

chassis

Well optioned. It doesn’t have the off road engineering package, not sure if that matters to you. It has magic vision windshield wipers which are around $100 to replace, not sure if that matters to you.

jasonatri

@chassis I've found it difficult to find one with the off road package. I had no idea the wipers were $100 to replace!!! Guessing you have to get them from MB, haha.

jasonatri

I might be asking too much of you guys, but you seem so knowledgable with everything I figured I'd give it a shot. This dealership that I'm talking to sent me the repair order for CPO and I thought it was strange they only replace the 2 tires and the rear breaks and pads. I would hope they would replace all of them, at least all the tires.

This is a link to the "Repair Order Detail" they sent me - Repair Order Detail

They sent me a pic (below) of the brakes and said they didn't need to be replaced pre CPO requirements. They said the tires were at 8% and CPO requirement says to replace when below 8%. There was also a ding/dent on the rear passenger side panel, right next to the liftgate that I pointed out and they said they are having it fixed now.

The car is priced really well, but I'm wondering if there's a good reason it's priced thousands below market and still sitting on the lot. I would go check it out, but driving 8 hours to realize your hunch was right seems like a lot.

The other one I'm looking at is also a 2017, is a little closer, and only has 16K miles on it. It's also listed for about $10K more. Is 20K or so miles worth $10K?

barsaec

Rear brakes are common to go first as all the driver aids use them, primarily distronic. Tires are a different story. The vehicle will go through tires pretty quickly from what I read. I put 4 new Michellins on mine it made the vehicle great. I bought mine 4hrs away, and I felt quasi committed at the point I left my house. It ended working out ok, just way too much time inside a dealership during Covid.

jasonatri

Yeah, the travel thing on top of COVID makes me nervous. For an 8+ hour drive, I really want to be sure about it.

I'm hoping I can maybe get the other guys to come down on the price. The really low miles is a huge plus, and it also has it's original warranty until August 11, 2021.

jasonatri

I’m sure people are tired of this by now, but figured I would update. I’m now trying to work a deal on the GLS 550 with just under 16K miles. Not holding my breath, but I feel I made a reasonable offer. Fingers crossed.

chassis

Seems similarly optioned to the first one. What colors? Didn't see it in the list. Good luck with the purchase.

Brake pads looked fine in the photo you posted. The dealer was cutting it close on only replacing two tires. They will only do what they absolutely must do, and rarely more.

jasonatri

The color of the one I’m working on now is black. Was texting the guy back and forth last night and told him to let me know in the morning.

I felt like the other guys were trying to cut corners and decided to go with my gut and let it go.

Golfather

Congratulations! Lovely car with decent spec. Enjoy!

Curious to know the price difference between the 550 and the AMG63, as running costs won't be too far apart.

This side of the pond the difference is around £20-30k depending on spec and mileage. I'm running a GLS350d and it's hardly fuel efficient tbh, so kinda wish I'd bought the AMG....perhaps next year i'll swap it out.

Anyway, can you share some pics of the interior please?